Wesley Mayhew Mott

   FamilySearch ID: K2FH-FD9. Find a Grave ID: 94004343.

  General Notes:

Biographical information from MOTT, written by his sister, Harriet Elizabeth Mott

See also 'Wisconsin - Stability, Progress, Beauty' Volume 4 (Wisconsin Biography) of 5 volumes. Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1946.

At the age of six, his mother insisted that the family move from their rural, farm home near Winchester, Wisconsin to live in Neenah, Wisconsin. She was a talented and educated former teacher who wanted something more than the life of a farmer for Mayhew, as he was called to distinguish him from his father. He graduated from Neenah High School in 1893 and from Lawrence University in nearby Appleton in 1898. He read law, taught school for a year in Brandon, Wisconsin, and after completing preparatory studies for the law joined his father in the law firm of Mott and Mott. He was justice of the peace for a number of years and the city attorney of Neenah for four years.

According to 'Wisconsin Biography' "While Mr. Mott usually follows an independent course in politics, he served on the central committee of the Progressive party in Wisconsin and was county chairman for the party for two terms." His son, Robert Mott, stated that he was not a great believer in the free enterprise system, generally favoring the cooperative movements that were flourishing at the time among farmers. He was a Darwinist, he belonged to the Fraternal Order of Moose and was a member of the Methodist church, serving as a trustee and board member.

Perhaps the most crushing event of his life was the loss of his first wife, Emma, the mother of his four young children, to tuberculosis in 1917. He soon found a helpmate in a 32 year old school teacher, Ethel Harris, whom he married in 1918 and who bore him a fifth child, Jean.

Three photos with Mayhew and Emma are at the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. They are at a picnic. While the photos are not complete as to the date and the persons involved, that camping party was noted in the Oshkosh Northwestern, 15 Jul 1911, page 13, which clarifies the date. It also confirms that the Digital Collection's caption of two of the photos that have "unknown woman" is indeed Emma.

Mayhew died in 1960 of injuries he sustained in a car accident that he was not able to recover from. ^339,340

  Events

• Occupation. Attorney, Justice Of The Peace

• residence: east side 3rd 2 n. Lincoln, 1893, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI. ³⁴¹

• Education: Graduate of Lawrence University, 1898, Appleton, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin.

• residence: 205 3rd Street, 1900, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI. ³⁴²

• Politics: Ran for District Attorney (Winnebago County) on the Prohibition ticket, 1906, Winnebago Co., WI. ³⁴³

• Board Member: Neenah Industrial Association, 1910-1914, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI. One of the original incorporators of the Assoication which formed to bring industry to Neenah, Menasha.

• Politics: District Attorney candidate, 1910, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI. ³⁴⁴ Ran for district attorney on the Prohibition ticket and spent "not a single cent" on his campaign. Of the 9428 votes cast for district attorney in the Nov 8th election Mayhew recieved 67 votes. The election was won by a Democrat.

• Draft Registration: WWI, 2 Sep 1918, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI. ³⁴⁵ Identifies his home and place of work (109 Washington Ave., Neenah), wife Ethel as well as birthdate.

• Politics: Filed for Attorney General on Prohibition ticket, 1924, Madison, Dane County, WI. ^346,347 Votes cast for Attorney General in the November election:
713,435
J. Allen Simpson (Dem) received 154,750 votes
Mayhew Mott (Pro) received 9,134 votes
Herman Ekern (Rep) received 490,419 (winner)

Listed also in http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/mott.html

• Burial: Oak Hill Cemetery, 1960, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI. Find A Grave Memorial# 94004343

• Obituary: The Post-Crescent, page 17 with picture, 25 May 1960, Appleton, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin. Died 11:35 Tuesday. Describes the accident and injuries sustained (fractured ribs and broken pelvis) and that he suffered a stroke while in hospital. Long biography follows that.

Wesley married Emma Amalia Holmes, daughter of Christian Madsen Holm and Ane Madsine Sørensdatter, 22 Sep 1910 in Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI. (Emma Amalia Holmes was born 29 Jan 1885 in Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI, christened 13 Aug 1899 in Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI, died 8 Mar 1917 in Stevens Point, Portage Co., WI and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI.)

Wesley next married Ethel Harris, daughter of John A. Harris and Emma L. House, 9 Jul 1918 in White Bear Lake, MN. (Ethel Harris was born 12 Jun 1886 in Delton, Sauk Co., WI, died 24 Mar 1973 in Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI and was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Neenah, Winnebago Co., WI.)